Vehicle interiors utilize various types of decorative components to provide a desired aesthetic. Certain types of materials and components, such as leather or genuine wood trim, may traditionally provide a vehicle interior with a luxurious feel because the cost of such materials may be relatively high, making them affordable only to purchasers of expensive vehicles. One distinctive feature of leather trim materials is what may be termed a “cut-and-sew” look, where pieces of leather material are hand-sewn together, often with decorative stitching, to form a covering to fit the contours of various types of interior components. Some efforts have been made to simulate such a hand-sewn look to make it more affordable for use in less expensive vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,922,956 to Scheidmantel et al. describes one technique that purports to simulate a cut-and-sew look. The method taught by Scheidmantel includes molding a component from a plastic material using a mold that has the shape of a simulated sewn joint formed in the mold surface. When removed from the mold, the molded component includes a molded-in simulated sewn joint in the form of a pair of ridges with an indentation between the ridges. Scheidmantel then teaches adding a thread-stitched seam parallel to the ridges to simulate a sewn joint.